Publisher Dear Villagers has revealed their upcoming turn-based JPRG, Astria Ascending. The adventure is coming sometime this year to PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 & 5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and Game Pass. It tells a tale of “fate, sacrifice, and new beginnings”.
Players control the Demigods in a world where chaos is on the horizon. Players can explore each character’s story through five cities and 25 dungeons. It boasts 30-50 hours of gameplay with finely tuned combat, and plenty of side quests & mini games.
While Astria Ascending is being developed by Artisan Studios, it has also had contributions from some heavy hitters in the JRPG business. They include:
- A score by Hitoshi Sakimoto (Final Fantasy XII, Vagrant Story)
- Narrative by Kazushige Nojima (Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy VII Remake)
- Art from CyDesignation (Akihiko Yoshida and Hideo Minaba)
Artisan Studios Game Director, Julien Bourgeois, commented in the press release about what aspects of humanity the game tries to explore:
“In Astria Ascending we wanted to explore how people cope in extraordinary times. Each hero has their own perspective, but it’s the relationships they form with one another that truly brings the story to life.”
Likewise, Dear Villagers Head of Publishing, Guillaume Jamet, commented about seeing the world come together and the legends making it happen:
“Seeing this world come together has been a delight. And it’s an honor to have so many legends on the team helping out – like a childhood dream come true. Astria Ascending is more than an homage to the classics. It’s the perfect next step in our publishing line of ambitious JRPGs.”
